You might wonder why I bothered to realize a physical disc at all, given that CDs are going the way of the buffalo, supplanted by digital everything. But for the pro musician, not having at least a few discs around is not good: despite the fact that most people download digital, CDs are still sold to some and the CD is also a business calling card to many promoters.

However, there ARE ways to make the physical CD with less of a trash and carbon footprint. I chose Oasis CD manufacturing because of their green credentials. The CD cover of "Blame It On The Dog" was made from Green Forestry Practices Board which uses a minimum of 10% recycled material. The art work is printed using 100% say inks. This CD is NOT in a plastic jewel box: it is in an "eco-wallet"

Now, I did look at some much greener alternatives from several different Green Packaging sites. And I admit that there are many creative ideas. But I was not ready to give up the aesthetics of a more traditional color cover. Since I was only planning to make 500 copies, as opposed to mylast three albums where the smallest run you could make was 1000, I figured I would be saving some energy there.

But then there is the problem the CD itself. What do you do with that?

One such place is theCD Recycling Center of America. You send them your old CDs (and plastic jewel cases) They in turn send everything their partner facility on the west coast that houses specialty proprietary equipment.

This equipment then processes the discs back to a clear resin, which is then sold to plastics manufactures that can manufacture new items from recycled plastic resinmThe plastic is generally used for the automotive and building materials industries. Take a look around your car and home; you probably have items that were made from recycled plastic right there!

Other places that take old CDs and media I know of (and have used myself) are:

Yep...KUOW News and Information stumbled across Deb Goes Green last December and interviewed me about my zero- waste lifestyle as part of a bigger series they are doing on Seattle's zero-waste efforts as a whole.

This is a *written* article, *not* a podcast.

The article also includes fellow Seattle Zero-Wasters (and busy mothers of young kids) Stephanie Wall (http://instagram.com/ilovezerowaste ), April Dickinson (http://instagram.com/zerowastedork) and Heather Trim, Executive Director of Zero Waste Washington​Thank you to KUOW journalist Amy Rolph and photographer Megan Farmer for documenting what zero waste looks like in real life, as opposed to shiny, picture-perfect homes (not that there is anything wrong with clean, beautiful homes)

On July 18th, 2017 China, the world's major importer of global recyclables, announced that it will no longer accept imports of 24 categories of solid waste. This is a part of the country's campaign against "Yang Laji", or "Foreign garbage"

I don't know abut you, but I find that rather disgusting. Why should China be our country's dumping ground? How would you feel if China was dumping all its trash on us?

The reality of the situation is that the day has now come when there is no more "away". Just because Seattle Public Utilities hauls away all myr recycling every other week , doesn't mean that it really goes away. This "disappearance" is a warm, fuzzy illusion and always has been.

It is time to question and question deeply, why we, as a society feel we need to use all this plastic, especially single use, in the first place.

Is it *really* more convenient? Do you really need that cling-wrap to protect your food when a glass jar will do? Do you really need to use a plastic toothbrush when a compostable, bamboo toothbrush will do ? Do you really need that bottled water? Really? Seriously? Why? Have you forgotten how to turn on the tap?

"One way forward might be to limit its (plastic) functions. Many disposable items are made from plastic. Some of them are disposable by necessity for hygiene purposes – for instance, blood bags and other medical items – but many others are disposable for convenience." -The Conversation

Yes. Convenience. Our Sacred Western Mantra. Another word for "lazy."

We in the West have a lot of thinking to do. Why we should feel that we deserve to use all this single-use plastic then dump it on other countries really is the height on arrogance, in my opinion. Basically, we need to make a decision that unless we can dispose of our garbage cleanly, hygienically, neatly at home, that we forgo using that item.

In the next series of posts on Deb Goes Green, I will be posting just HOW you can achieve that in your home, by breaking down each area into Zero-Waste Zones.

Have you ever wondered what to do with your old, orange, #5 plastic prescription bottles? Most municipal recycling programs do not accept them. The City of Seattle most assuredly does *not*, citing the orange plastic as "too brittle to recycle", even though they accept other forms of #5 plastic.

The orange bottles that hold prescription medication are typically made of polypropylene, also known as PP or by the resin code #5. Polypropylene is the plastic of choice for many food manufacturers and can also be used to make fabric and household products like carpeting and roof membranes.

The tough thing about reusing the pill bottles though, is that they should not hold food products, lest leftover medication make its way into food. Add that to the difficulty of disposing of leftover painkillers, antibiotics, sleep medication and antidepressants, and finding a way to deal with medicine bottles in an eco-friendly manner can seem like a lost cause. However, there is hope: Matthew 25: Ministries.

Specifically, the pill bottles go to developing countries where rural pharmacies may have the medications on hand, but no way to give them to the patients other then filling up those patients' hands or pockets with the pills, which in turn, that get lost on the way home. Can you imagine if you went to the Walgreen's counter and the only way to take home your meds was to have the pharmacist dump the pills loose in your purse?

It's my favorite day of the year-December 31rst- when I do my annual carbon output reckoning.

What I count: planes, trains, automobiles and natural gas home heating.

What I do not count: electricity, as not only is Seattle City Light, powered by 93% renewable wind ,bio-as and hydro-power, but I also have ownership in the Seattle Community Solar program, which kicks back a certain percentage of power-and money-every year.

I also do not count my food choices (though I should) as I have not figured out a way to accurately calculate my food footprint. So far, all the food footprint calculators either over-estimate my meat consumption, or under-estimate it. I realize I should quit meat, and though I have cut way down, I haven't kicked the habit.